Narrated
by their oldest child, a lanky African-American girl with springy black curls,
this book celebrates the joy and love of a family composed of two mothers and
three adopted children. Short and stout, Meema was a pediatrician and tall and
thin Marmee, who could organize and fix anything, was a paramedic. The
narrator’s younger Asian-American brother, Will, and artistic red-haired, bespectacled
Millie completed the family. The children grow up in a beautiful old house in
Berkeley, California and the narrator lovingly describes her memories of
cooking in the kitchen, dressing up for Halloween, making dresses for the
mother-daughter tea, and the annual neighborhood block party. Although the
family was attacked for their lifestyle by their neighbor Mrs. Lockner, the
children were always comforted by the love of their mothers. Eventually the
children grow up, get married, and have children of their own. Although Marmee
and Meema have passed away, the narrator is reassured because “all of our
hearts find peace whenever we are there…not only remembering them, but being
there, together, in our mothers’ house.”

3.CRITICAL
ANALYSIS

The
positive aspects of being part of a family with two mothers are emphasized in
this story. Sometimes it seems too good to be true. The story is a nostalgic
look at the narrator’s childhood and family, so it is somewhat understandable
that Polacco chooses to highlight positive, rather than negative, memories.
Although the story is elevated by characters that are not stereotypical or one
dimensional, at times the realism of the book suffers under the pressure of
representing an idealized family.

The
story, a tribute to two loving parents who just happen to be lesbians, is
written almost entirely in first person past tense, which makes the reader feel
like one of the family. The pen and marker illustrations are bright and lively.
The people and settings are realistic and detailed, yet Polacco’s lines are
loose and sketchy. Each two page spread describes a memory of something that
happened in or around the house. Together these episodes create a tapestry that
illustrates the Marmee and Meema’s love of their children and their community.

Although
Mrs. Lockner’s attack on the family provides a small conflict the book is
character and place, rather than plot driven. Polacco mentions that the house
is located in Berkeley, California, however the city is not as important as the
house itself. This universal story of love and family could easily take place
in any city. There is a contemporary timelessness to the illustrations; the
story could be set in the 1970’s or the 2000’s. The neighborhood is very
diverse with people of many cultural backgrounds. This is most noticeable in
the illustration of the block party food court which features people of all
ages, hair and skin colors. Meema says, “Aren’t we all something?” when she
sees the stuffed grape leaves brought by the Maricians, the Polos’ spanakopita,
and the hummus and tabouli brought by the Abdullas.

The
communal sharing of food is a recurring element in the narrator’s memories. The
children not only cook and eat food with their mothers, but also with their
grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, and neighbors. The narrator
remembers, “At our table we didn’t only eat, thought. Marmee and Meema made
sure of that. Everyone talked about everything…What I loved most about our
family was that we could all speak our hearts. We never measured words”

Polacco
has developed distinct, complimentary personalities for Marmee and Meema. The
narrator describes them as “so different from each other that all of us often
wondered how they found each other at all.” The narrator lovingly describes the
careers and passions of each woman. Their sexual orientation is never addressed
directly, although it is clear the two women are in a relationship. Although
some readers may wish for a more direct approach, the benefit of Polacco’s
approach is that each adult can discuss the topic in the way they are most
comfortable.

Both
mothers are open about their relationship to their children, parents, and the
community. They take pride in the accomplishments of their children and are
willing to step outside of their personal comfort zones to support their
children. For instance, both daughters are ecstatic when they are picked to
host the mother-daughter tea. Although Meema and Marmee never wear dresses,
they enthusiastically sew long pastel dresses to wear to the event. In
retrospect the narrator acknowledges how uncomfortable her mothers were and how
much it meant to her and her sister, “My heart still skips a beat when I think
of the two of them trying so hard to please us in those awkward, sweeping,
ridiculous dresses.”

Unfortunately,
prejudice is embodied by a single character, Mrs. Lockner, which does not
present a realistic depiction of the barriers same-sex couples face. This also
seems like a wasted opportunity for Polacco to address other forms of hate that
children with same-sex parents often encounter, such as bullying by their
peers. However, adopted children and/or children with same-sex parents will see
themselves positively reflected in this book.

4.REVIEW
EXCERPTS

Best Books for Children: Preschool-Grade
6 – 9th Edition

Review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Is this an idealized vision of a how a
gay couple can be accepted by their family and community? Absolutely. But the
story serves as a model of inclusiveness for children who have same-sex
parents, as well as for children who may have questions about a
"different" family in their neighborhood. A lovely book that can help
youngsters better understand their world."

Starred review in BOOKLIST: "The energetic illustrations in pencil and
marker, though perhaps not as well-rendered as in some previous works, teem
with family activities and neighborhood festivity. Quieter moments radiate the
love the mothers feel for their children and for each other.”

Review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: "The distillation of hate into a single
character undermines the reality of systematic oppression faced by same-sex
couples; furthermore, the flash-forward narration depicting each child grown
and married into heterosexual, monoracial unions ironically presents this
family as an anomaly. There is a desperate need for books that present queer
families as just another part of the American quilt, but this title, despite
its obvious good intentions, doesn’t do it."

5.CONNECTIONS

*What would your house say, “If walls could talk”? Encourage
kids to write about an unforgettable experience that happened in the house they
live in now or in the house they loved the most.

More Blogs by Amy Seto Musser

About Me

I am a children's librarian at the Denver Public Library. I graduated with a Masters of Library Science from Texas Woman's University. I feel lucky to have a career that allows me to combine my theatre experience and my love for children’s lit and programming. I'm always on the look out for creative ways to incorporate the arts (music, drama, dance, visual arts) to extend books beyond the page.